Atlus Explained

Atlus Co., Ltd.
Image Caption:Headquarters in Tokyo
Native Name:Japanese: 株式会社アトラス
Romanized Name:Kabushiki gaisha Atorasu
Type:Subsidiary
Industry:Video games
Defunct: (as Atlus Co., Ltd.)
Hq Location:Nishi-Shinagawa
Location City:Shinagawa, Tokyo
Location Country:Japan
Products:List of Atlus games
Num Employees:371[1]
Num Employees Year:April 2024
Parent:Sega (2013–present)

is a Japanese video game developer, publisher, arcade manufacturer and distribution company based in Tokyo. A subsidiary of Sega, the company is known for video game series such as Megami Tensei, Persona, Etrian Odyssey, and Trauma Center, as well as Print Club (purikura) arcade machines. Its corporate mascot is Jack Frost, a snowman-like character from their Shin Megami Tensei series. Outside of video games, the company is known for their Purikura arcade machines, which are selfie photo sticker booths popular in East Asia.

Atlus was established in April 1986 and spent its early years as a video game developer for other companies. It became a video game publisher of its own in 1989 and existed until it was merged into Index Corporation in October 2010. After the dissolution, the Atlus name continued as a brand used by Index Corporation for video game publishing until 2013, when it was bought by Sega and revived as a company initially under the name Sega Dream Corporation. A North American branch of the company, originally Atlus USA and now Atlus West, was founded in 1991 in order to focus on publishing and localizing games for North America. A European branch, handled via the London-based Sega Europe, was founded in 2017.

History

See also: List of Atlus games.

Atlus began on 7 April 1986 as a video game developer of computer games for other companies.[2] In January 1987, Atlus started selling amusement equipment.[2] It expanded into the sale of karaoke equipment in March 1989.[2] Atlus released the first video game under its own name in 1989: Puzzle Boy for the Game Boy.[2] Prior to this, earlier Atlus video games were published by other companies, such as Namco and Hudson Soft in Japan and LJN in North America.

Atlus started in the arcade industry in the 1990s by manufacturing its first arcade video game, BlaZeon, in 1992. In 1995, Atlus launched Print Club (purikura) at arcades in partnership with Sega.[3] It is a photo sticker booth that produces selfie photos.[4] [5] It was conceived by Atlus employee Sasaki Miho in 1994; her bosses at Atlus were initially reluctant about the idea, before later deciding to go ahead with it.[6] Atlus and Sega introduced Purikura in February 1995, initially at game arcades, before expanding to other popular culture locations such as fast food shops, train stations, karaoke establishments and bowling alleys.[7] Purikura became a popular form of entertainment among youths across East Asia, laying the foundations for modern selfie culture.[4] [5] It also introduced a large female demographic to the company's previously male-dominated arcade customer base.[8] By 1996, it accounted for 70% of the company's revenue.[5] By 1997, about 47,000 Purikura machines had been sold, earning Sega an estimated or annually from Purikura sales that year. Various other similar purikira machines appeared from other manufacturers, with Sega controlling about half of the market in 1997.[9] Print Club went on to generate over in sales for Atlus and Sega.[10]

Atlus entered the Tokyo Stock Exchange in 1997, listing on the JASDAQ. In its goal to further increase its presence in the amusement industry, Atlus acquired the manufacturer Apies from Yubis Corporation in 1999. In 2000, Atlus formed a joint venture with Kadokawa Shoten to distribute and sell games. Atlus suffered from deficit financial results in both 1999 and 2000. To address the issue, Atlus established a management reform plan in 2001. In its restructuring efforts, Atlus sold two subsidiaries (one of them being Apies) to their respective employees as part of a management buyout.[11]

In October 2001, Atlus acquired Career Soft, and became the sole publisher of the Growlanser series: a real-time strategy role-playing game from the creators of the Langrisser series.[12] In 2004, after the release of Growlanser IV, the majority of Career Soft's staff was merged into the main development team of Atlus where they worked on the games. As a developer brand, Career Soft was eventually dissolved.

In October 2003, Japanese toy company Takara acquired Atlus.[13] On 21 November 2006, Index Holdings announced the acquisition of Atlus, effective on 30 October 2006, and purchased 7.7 million shares (54.93 percent; 77,000 votes, or 54.96 percent of the voting rights) on 20 November 2006. Atlus became an Index Holdings subsidiary on 29 November 2006.[14]

In March 2009, Atlus and Sting Entertainment announced a publishing partnership making Atlus the only publisher of Sting-developed games in Japan.[15] On 17 September 2009, Index Holdings announced the separation of Atlus' amusement facility and related business into a subsidiary, New Entertainment Waves,[16] effective on 1 December. One hundred seventy-two shares of the subsidiary's stock were also transferred to Chushoukigyou Leisure[17] on 1 December.[18]

On 30 August 2010, Index Holdings announced its merger with Atlus, with Index Holdings being the surviving company, effective on 1 October.[19] [20] After the merger, Index Holdings would continue to operate the Atlus brand.[21] Although fans were concerned about the company's future, CEO Shinichi Suzuki said that Atlus would continue to provide the "finest quality game experiences possible" and the merger "further strengthens the foundation of Atlus, both in Japan and here in the United States."[22] On 9 November 2010 Index Holdings announced its renaming to Index Corporation, to be confirmed at the shareholders meeting on 25 November 2010 and effective on 1 December.[23] [24]

From 2010 to 2013, Atlus, as a company, ceased to exist and its name became a brand of Index Corporation for video games in Japan. However, Atlus USA remained active and was renamed Index Digital Media, serving as the North American subsidiary for Index Corporation. Much like in Japan, video games continued to be released in that region under the Atlus name during this period. In June 2013, it was reported that Index Corporation filed for civil rehabilitation proceedings, facing bankruptcy with debts of ¥24.5 billion. An Atlus USA spokesperson said that Index Digital Media and the Atlus brand were unaffected by the proceedings.[25]

On 18 September 2013, it was reported that Sega won a bid to acquire the bankrupt Index for ¥14 billion.[26] All Index operations, including the Atlus brand and Index Digital Media (Atlus USA), were transferred on 1 November 2013 to Sega Dream Corporation (a new subsidiary established on 5 September 2013).[27] That day, Sega announced that it would change the name of Sega Dream Corporation to Index Corporation.[28]

On 18 February 2014, Sega announced the separation of Index Corporation's contents and solution businesses into a new subsidiary, Index Corporation, renaming the old Index Corporation and its remaining digital game business division to Atlus effective 1 April 2014. The new Atlus would include the foreign subsidiary, Index Digital Media, which would revert its name back to Atlus USA at the establishment of the new Atlus.[29]

In April 2017, Sega Sammy Holdings announced a relocation of head office functions of the Sega Sammy Group and its major domestic subsidiaries located in the Tokyo metropolitan area to Shinagawa-ku by January 2018. Their stated reasoning was to promote cooperation among companies and creation of more active interaction of personnel, while pursuing efficient group management by consolidating scattered head office functions of the group. Atlus is one of the companies that has relocated in response to this.[30]

Development organization

Atlus currently has three internal development divisions inside the company responsible for the development of its titles:

International branches

Atlus West

Atlus West (formerly known as Atlus U.S.A., Inc.) established in 1991 and based in Irvine, California, is the American subsidiary of Atlus and publishes games created by Atlus and other developers. It was formally called Index Digital Media from 2010 to 2014 in response to Atlus being dissolved into Index Corporation.

A number of Megami Tensei games have not been released in North America. During the 1990s, Jack Bros. for Virtual Boy, for PlayStation and for the Game Boy Color were the first three games in the series to have a North American release. The 2004 release of was the first main-series video-game release in the U.S.[36] Since then, the series has continued to be localized and released in the US, including games such as Persona 3, , and .

Atlus West has localized cult classic , created by Nippon Ichi Software. The company have also published the tactical role-playing game Tactics Ogre and Game Boy Advance remakes of the Kunio-kun and Double Dragon games for Million (a company composed of former Technōs Japan employees). Other notable titles include Snowboard Kids and Snowboard Kids 2 (for Nintendo 64) and Odin Sphere and the Trauma Center series. Atlus USA released , a role-playing video game for the Game Boy Advance previously released for the Wonderswan Color, in 2004 in collaboration with Sting and Bandai. In 2006 Atlus USA and Sting released Yggdra Union, a strategy role-playing game (RPG) for the Game Boy Advance.[37] After Working Designs' publication of Growlanser Generations, they released in 2005 and Growlanser Wayfarer of Time in 2012.

The company established an online division, including the Atlus Online portal which is servicing and . On 31 March 2013, Index Digital Media's Atlus Online Division was purchased by Marvelous AQL and transferred to Xseed Games.[38] Atlus USA has published games under the Marl Kingdom name, beginning with in 2000.[39] On 18 February 2014 Sega announced that Index Digital Media would revert its name back to Atlus USA. In March 2016, Sega announced that all the future localized products from Atlus for North America will be published by Sega.[40] [41] Between 2019 and 2020, Atlus USA changed its public brand name to Atlus West.[42] [43] [44]

Europe and Oceania

Until 2017, Atlus did not have a dedicated European division for publishing and distributing their titles within the European and Oceania region. Instead, many of Atlus' titles were published in these regions by Nippon Ichi Software (NIS) and its American division NIS America. Following Atlus's acquisition by Sega Sammy Holdings, NIS found that it became more difficult to work between Sega and Atlus for distribution and in April 2016, formally ended its distribution partnership with Atlus.[45] In July 2016, Deep Silver announced that it had come to agreement to become Atlus' distributor for Europe and Oceania, and would begin to publish titles in both retail and digital form.[46] In August 2017, Atlus announced that they had opened a European distribution team located in Sega Europe's offices in London that would publish all its games going forward.[47]

Corporate mascot

Jack Frost, who appears as a demon character in the Shin Megami Tensei franchise, is the company mascot.[48] Resembling a snowman, he has teeth, a tail and no nose, and wears a jester hat, collar, and shoes. His catchphrase is "Hee-Ho". He has appeared in several games in the Shin Megami Tensei series, as well as the Jack Bros. and Persona games. Jack Frost is a hidden character in the North American and Japanese versions of , with a larger role in the Japanese version. He has a family; more relatives were created since Shin Megami Tensei II, including King Frost, Pyro Jack (Known as "Jack-O-Lantern" in some localizations), Frost 5 Senshi, and Black Frost.

Animation based on Atlus games

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 企業情報 .
  2. Web site: ::: アトラス ::: . www.atlus.co.jp . 11 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20031209003138/http://www.atlus.co.jp/about/kaisha_enkaku.html . 9 December 2003 . dead.
  3. Web site: History of SEGA SAMMY Group/SEGA before Business Integration｜SEGA SAMMY Group｜SEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS . Segasammy.co.jp . 2016-12-11 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20161220131310/https://www.segasammy.co.jp/english/pr/corp/history/history_sega.html . 20 December 2016.
  4. Book: Pan . Lu . Aestheticizing Public Space: Street Visual Politics in East Asian Cities . 2015 . Intellect Books . 9781783204533 . 107 .
  5. Book: Miller . Laura . Introducing Japanese Popular Culture . 2018 . . 9781317528937 . 10. Purikura: Expressive Energy in Female Self-Photography . https://www.vitalsource.com/products/introducing-japanese-popular-culture-alisa-freedman-v9781317528937.
  6. Harvard Asia Quarterly . Harvard Asia Quarterly . 2003 . 7 . 1–3 . 32 . . Purikura, clipped from purinto kurabu, was invented by Atlus, a Tokyo-based game software company. A female employee named Sasaki Miho had noticed the popularity of stickers among schoolgirls, a craze that also generated huge sales. In 1994, Sasaki came up with the idea of combining stickers with photos and proposed it to her Atlus employers, but her male bosses did not think it worth pursuing until 1995, when they finally gave her concept a chance..
  7. Book: Edwards . Elizabeth F. . Hart . Janice . Photographs Objects Histories: On the Materiality of Images . 2004 . . 9780415254410 .
  8. News: Surviving selfies: Japan's purikura photo booths cling on . 13 April 2021 . . 30 July 2020.
  9. News: Hunt . Joshua . How 'playing Puri' paved the way for Snapchat . 11 October 2021 . . 23 November 2018.
  10. News: 1997 . Atlus Print Club: Sales in a Flash . Atlus . 24 April 2022.
  11. Web site: Archived copy . www.atlus.co.jp . 11 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20050226011922/http://www.atlus.co.jp/ir/press/pdf/2001/press201_0814.pdf . 26 February 2005 . dead.
  12. Web site: Atlus Acquires Career Soft. 30 October 2001. 2012-03-20. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20120819021600/http://ps2.ign.com/articles/099/099497p1.html. 19 August 2012.
  13. https://web.archive.org/web/20100221042851/http://www.atlus.co.jp/ir/history/index.html 沿革：株式会社アトラス　IR情報・会社情報
  14. Web site: Regarding tender offer results and subsidiary companies . 30 August 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110713024725/http://www.index-hd.com/a_admin/english/pdf/00006039.pdf . 13 July 2011 .
  15. Web site: Atlus Partners with Sting . 10 March 2009 . IGN . 26 April 2010 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20140301180206/http://www.ign.com/articles/2009/03/10/atlus-partners-with-sting . 1 March 2014.
  16. http://toushi.kankei.me/docs/text/S0006WZM 株式会社NEWS 訂正臨時報告書 2010年10月08日 - 投資関係をなんとなくわかった気になる
  17. http://www.index-hd.com/press/uploads/20090917.pdf 当社子会社（株式会社アトラス）における 会社分割によるアミューズメント施設関連事業の分社化、並びに新設株式会社株式譲渡に関するお知らせ
  18. http://www.game-news.jp/pc_news/873/ 株式会社NEWS（ニューズ）設立
  19. Web site: Atlus 'Dissolved' By Parent Company Index Holdings. Gamasutra. 30 August 2010. 30 August 2010. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20120510011141/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/120957/Atlus_Dissolved_By_Parent_Company_Index_Holdings.php. 10 May 2012.
  20. Web site: インデックス・ホールディングス、連結子会社の吸収合併に関するお知らせ～グループ価値最大化を図りインデックス、アトラスの2社を吸収合併～. https://web.archive.org/web/20130428201854/http://www.index-hd.com/press/?p=1002. dead. 28 April 2013. Index Corporation. 30 August 2010. 30 August 2010.
  21. http://www.index-hd.com/press/?p=1009 【補足】インデックス・ホールディングス、連結子会社の吸収合併に関するお知らせ アトラスブランドについて
  22. Web site: Atlus Reassures Fans of Its Future After Merger. 1UP. 15 October 2010.
  23. http://www.index-hd.com/press/uploads/140120101109061772.pdf 商号変更および定款一部変更に関するお知らせ
  24. Web site: Index Holdings to Change Company Name. Reuters. 9 November 2010. 23 September 2012.
  25. News: Atlus at risk after parent company announces bankruptcy (update) Index. Emily Gera. Vox Media. 27 June 2013. 27 June 2013. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20130630144502/http://www.polygon.com/2013/6/27/4469788/atlus-at-risk-after-parent-company-announces-bankruptcy. 30 June 2013.
  26. News: Sega Said to Win Auction to Buy Bankrupt Japan Gamemaker Index. Shigeru Sato & Takahiko Hyuga. Bloomberg. 18 September 2013. 18 September 2013. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20130922052951/http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-09-18/sega-said-to-win-auction-to-buy-bankrupt-japan-gamemaker-index.html. 22 September 2013.
  27. Web site: Notice of Conclusion regarding Business Transfer Agreement of Index Corporation. Sega Sammy Holdings Inc.. 18 September 2013. 18 September 2013. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20130927043051/http://www.segasammy.co.jp/english/pdf/release/20130918_index_e_final.pdf. 27 September 2013.
  28. Web site: http://sega.jp/corp/release/2013/1101/. ja:当社子会社の事業譲受に関するお知らせ. ja. Sega Corporation. 1 November 2013. 2 November 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131106081214/http://sega.jp/corp/release/2013/1101/ . dead . 6 November 2013.
  29. http://sega.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/nr140218_1.pdf 連結子会社の分割（新設分割）及び商号変更に関するお知らせ
  30. Web site: Consolidation/Relocation of Head Office Functions of SEGA SAMMY Group. Sega Sammy Holdings. 3 April 2017. 4 April 2017. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170404220020/http://www.segasammy.co.jp/english/pdf/release/20170403_honsha_final_e_.pdf. 4 April 2017.
  31. Web site: Reggy . 2022-12-27 . Atlus 2023 Aspirations, Change of Internal Plans for Persona Team [Update] ]. 2023-06-12 . Persona Central . en-US.
  32. Web site: Reggy . 2021-03-05 . New Atlus Employee 2021 Interview Featuring New Hires for Studio Zero and 1st Production . 2023-06-12 . Persona Central . en-US.
  33. Web site: Reggy . 2019-03-05 . New Atlus Employee 2019 Interview for All Three Production Studios . 2023-06-12 . Persona Central . en-US.
  34. Web site: 2016-12-23 . Atlus' PROJECT Re FANTASY concept video and artwork, Studio Zero official website opened [Update] ]. 2023-06-12 . Gematsu . en-US.
  35. Web site: 2016-12-21 . First details on Atlus' new fantasy RPG, "PROJECT Re FANTASY" [Update] ]. 2023-06-12 . Gematsu . en-US.
  36. Web site: Megami Tensei/Shin Megami Tensei. Hardcoregaming101.net . 26 April 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100511065620/http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/megaten/megaten.htm. 11 May 2010 . live.
  37. Web site: 2006 . RPGFan News – E3 2006 . 10 September 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20070918012144/http://rpgfan.com/news/2006/1237.html. 18 September 2007 . live.
  38. http://pdf.irpocket.com/C7844/qnwX/aBi7/kalD.pdf 当社子会社によるIndex Digital Media, Inc.（米国）のオンラインゲーム事業取得に関するお知らせ
  39. Web site: Nippon Ichi. Hardcoregaming101.net . 26 April 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100602140200/http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/nipponichi/nipponichi.htm. 2 June 2010 . live.
  40. Sega finalises purchase of Persona developer Atlus. Matthew. Jarvis. Develop. 1 April 2016. 1 April 2016. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20160406010639/http://www.develop-online.net/news/sega-finalises-purchase-of-persona-developer-atlus/0218664. 6 April 2016.
  41. Web site: Sega Is Now Publishing Atlus U.S.A. Games, But Don't Worry. Mike. Futter. GameInformer. 31 March 2016. 2 February 2016. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160413104309/http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2016/03/31/sega-is-now-publishing-atlus-usa-games-but-dont-worry.aspx. 13 April 2016.
  42. Web site: Persona 5 Royal Announcement Coming West On December 3, 2019. Sato, Ike. Siliconera. November 22, 2019. December 7, 2020. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20201207094245/https://www.siliconera.com/persona-5-royal-announcement-coming-west-on-december-3-2019/. December 7, 2020.
  43. Web site: Sega trademarks Persona 5 Strikers, plus other Japanese trademarks. Romano, Sal. Gematsu. December 16, 2019. December 7, 2020. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20201112035429/https://www.gematsu.com/2019/12/sega-trademarks-persona-5-strikers-plus-other-japanese-trademarks. November 12, 2020.
  44. Web site: 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim — new release date and interview. Advincula, Ari. PlayStation Blog. July 21, 2020. July 21, 2020.
  45. Web site: NIS will no longer publish Atlus games in Europe, Oceania . Kyle . MacGregor . 25 April 2016 . 6 July 2016 . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20160701171417/https://www.destructoid.com/nis-will-no-longer-publish-atlus-games-in-europe-oceania-357538.phtml . 1 July 2016.
  46. Web site: Deep Silver enters publishing agreement with Atlus in Europe . Chris . Carter . 6 July 2016 . 6 July 2016 . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20160706125741/https://www.destructoid.com/deep-silver-enters-publishing-agreement-with-atlus-in-europe-373434.phtml . 6 July 2016.
  47. Web site: Atlus establishes European publishing division. Gematsu. 24 August 2017. 24 August 2017. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170824133939/http://gematsu.com/2017/08/atlus-establishes-european-publishing-division. 24 August 2017.
  48. Web site: Atlus Online Open For Business . Kotaku . 26 April 2010 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20101114071930/http://www.kotaku.com.au/2009/04/atlus-online-now-open-for-business/ . 14 November 2010.

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